Zika blankets made in North Carolina, headed to Rio

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it's monitoring 320 pregnant women in the United States with the Zika Virus.

Author:
Chad Silber

Published:
8:55 AM CDT July 9, 2016

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it's monitoring 320 pregnant women in the United States with the Zika Virus. Zika is known to cause severe birth defects.

Abnormally formed brains can be detected even before birth, but other more subtle defects might not be known for years. All 320 cases involve people who traveled outside of the U-S.

Hard to imagine a blanket could solve the Zika problem. A blanket made with a chemical that repels, even kills, mosquitoes.

The blankets are made here locally and will be used to keep our Olympic athletes safe in Rio.

"There's a fear factor there,” said Dave Pearce, Business Development at Skintex MR III. “They're aware of it and they're looking for what can we do about it?"

A local company found the answer. A blanket that creates a barrier against mosquitoes.

"It'll knock the insect down and/or knock it dead," said Pearce.

Skintex is providing the blankets to all 1,100 Team USA athletes. "You'll see Olympians with this blanket, the white blanket with the blue and red salvage on it," said Pearce.

The blankets fight off and kill mosquitoes.

"The chemicals that are infused in it are a preventative blanket for mosquitoes to bite you, and all other insects actually,” said David Marsh, USA Head Women’s Olympic Swimming Coach. “So expect to see this kind of stuff around them the whole meet."

A little relief for athletes who can't afford to break focus.

"We're trying to give them a little sense of comfort,” said Pearce. “Here's the tools we have and here's what we can do with this tool."

The blankets are partially manufactured in Greensboro. Inventors say it's a surreal feeling for the fairly new company. "I think everybody will be very pleased to know that the hard work of the last 10 plus years, there it is, walking into the stadium," said Pearce.